Dev tools · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Directus

A Free and Open-Source Headless CMS

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Directus launched in 2016; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1DF
   Directus – Free and Open-Source Headless CMS▲18

   2016 · getdirectus.com · its alternatives →

2. 2
   JustCMS▲255

   AI-powered, affordable, headless cms

   2025 · slotvipjpterus.co · its alternatives →

3. 3
   Cosmic▲81

   Headless CMS and API toolkit

   2016 · its alternatives →

4. 4
   Urubu▲70

   A micro CMS for static websites

   2016 · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Strapi 5▲356

   Headless CMS designed for customization and performance

   2024 · strapi.io · its alternatives →

6. 6
   Prismic▲85

   Content management as a service

   2014 · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Headless▲7

   The static website CMS

   2017 · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Lucidcms▲84

   Minimal headless CMS for side projects

   2021 · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Pagekit 1.0▲137

   A modular and lightweight open source CMS

   2016 · its alternatives →

10. 10
    Fraym▲67

    A new open-source CMS

    2014 · its alternatives →

11. 11T1
    The 1-File Headless CMS▲9

    2024 · github.com · its alternatives →

12. 12NA
    Native apps for the browser▲152

    2013 · arc.io · its alternatives →

13. 13GA
    GraphCMS – A GraphQL-based Headless CMS▲115

    2018 · graphcms.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Zazu▲193

    Open source launcher, an alternative to Alfred

    2017 · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Codelia▲68

    Headless CMS to develop websites and e-commerce

    2021 · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Freedcamp: Independence▲80

    Affordable project management software, redesigned

    2017 · its alternatives →

17. 17OS
    Open Source alternative to services like Intercom.io and Smooch▲163

    2017 · github.com · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Craft▲104

    A CMS like no other.

    2014 · its alternatives →

19. 19
    OpeNext - Open Source Headless CMS▲14

    Web Speed That Matters

    2025 · openextcms.org · its alternatives →

20. 20DH
    DatoCMS – Headless CMS for static websites▲55

    The content platform for projects of any size, built around the needs of all team members. Simply put, the most user-friendly and performant headless CMS.

    2017 · datocms.com · its alternatives →

21. 21
    NW.js▲77

    A new way of writing desktop apps with Web technologies

    2015 · its alternatives →

22. 22AT
    A truly open source modern headless CMS▲11

    2020 · github.com · its alternatives →

23. 23IM
    I’m building open-source headless CMS for technical content▲89

    In the last few years I've been doing a lot of technical writing, both for my own programming blog and others, and I've noticed there is a lack of good tools for this kind of writing. Whether that was a programming blog post or documentation, I always had to move back an forth between different editors, and sometimes even other apps for content management and the actual content publication. A lot of copy-pasting, and wasted time. Based on this experience I decided to try and build a tool that could provide a good experience for this kind of content from writing to publishing. This (I call it…

    2023 · vrite.io · its alternatives →

24. 24TI
    Tux.io – a (now working) Linux desktop in your browser▲64

    2017 · tux.io · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →